When A Snail Loves

Chapter 44-  Looking into Ji Bai’s intensely pa.s.sionate eyes, Xu Xu held on and kept still

When Xu Xu returned to her room, she organised her data, and took a call from Sun Po asking her to obtain General Po’s signature on the faxed sheet of information. Since it was still bright outside, the city was in a safe state, Xu Xu didn’t think she had to trouble Ji Bai for this matter. She called Tisza and took two soldiers with her to locate Po.

The car drove along deserted roads. By the roadside, the Kachin soldiers were patrolling. The entire city had come under Po’s control. The military liaison officer said that Po had gone to visit the prison where they were temporarily holding the criminals. When Xu Xu reached the prison, the sky was already turning dark.

As Xu Xu and Tisza walked through the prison gates, they saw a ma.s.s of troops by the side of the training grounds, from far away. A man was kneeling, and it looked like there was another person lying on the ground. Xu Xu was taken by surprise, and strode over with big steps.

As they approached, the situation became clearer. The man on the ground was a soldier, with blood spouting out from his neck. He was already dead. The kneeling man was a member  of the Chinese mafia. Xu Xu remembered recording his data. Po was standing at the forefront of the ma.s.s of people, wearing a light gray army shirt and dark army trousers. He looked more solemn than before, and somewhat less hostile.

When he saw Xu Xu and the sheet of paper in her hand, he knew she was looking for him. He smirked at her and said: “Wait.” He then drew his gun and aimed it at the head of the Chinese criminal.

Xu Xu immediately rushed up front: “What are you doing!?”

The soldiers surrounding them all stared in stupefied silence at this little Chinese girl who had roared so unexpectedly. Po turned his head, glanced at her, and smiled coldly: “This man killed one of my soldiers in his attempt to escape.”

Xu Xu looked at the body splayed on the ground, and said: “We will investigate and ascertain his guilt. If he is guilty we will certainly punish him accordingly. However, you may not take the law into your own hands.”

The people surrounding them all hushed. The eyes of the fearful and trembling criminal held a spark of hope: “Yes, that’s right, you can’t give out punishment without proper approval . . .”

Po looked at Xu Xu and lowered his gun. Xu Xu stared directly at him. Unexpectedly, he reached out and took the doc.u.ment from Xu Xu’s hand: “You need my signature?”

Xu Xu: “ . . . . Yes.”

He took the pen, quickly signed his name and returned the paper to Xu Xu. Xu Xu had just received it when, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw that he had swiftly raised his gun again!

“You can’t!”

Too late. Po forced the gun barrel into the mouth of the criminal. With a ‘bang’, a spray of blood exploded from the back of his head. His mouth was a b.l.o.o.d.y mess while his eyes stared at nothing as his body toppled stiffly backwards.

Xu Xu was only aware of the pulse beating rapidly in her temple, while her face had become unsightly. Po simply threw his gun at his a.s.sistant and left, ignoring her completely.

Xu Xu looked at his retreating back, then turned and walked away. In a while, Tisza caught up with her, and said through an interpreter: “I have just queried the troops, what he said was true. That man deserved to die. You don’t have to be angry.”

Xu Xu did not say a word, but once in the car, she made a phone call: “Sun Ting, I have to report something to you . . . “

   ——

Back at the hotel, Xu Xu was still unable to calm down.

These past few days, the task force had barely had any contact with Po. He had been staying at a villa in the city centre, leaving the arrests to the direction of his subordinates. Only Sun Ting had occasionally run into him. In addition, his troops had worked very well with the task force and each soldier’s combat skills were fierce and impressive. As a result, everyone’s impression of him was a rough, fierce, pragmatic military man.

However, today’s occurrence had shocked Xu Xu. Although she have had previous contact with dead bodies, this was the first time someone had been killed right in front of her. Moreover, the killing had been carried out in such a public and merciless manner, designed to cause the victim to totally crumble. The moment of his death, his panicked eyes, his trembling face, and especially the b.l.o.o.d.y remains of his flesh, were all scorched deeply into Xu Xu’s mind, and it refused to go away.   

She laid down for a while in her room, yet she still felt uneasy. She got up and went to knock on Ji Bai’s door.

Ji Bai was already asleep, but when he heard the knock on his door, he carelessly pulled on a shirt and a pair of shorts. When he opened the door, at the sight of Xu Xu he smiled slightly: “Didn’t you say that you weren’t going to come to my room before our return to Lin City?”

Xu Xu sombrely walked into the room.

Ji Bai took one look at her face and went to her side as they sat on the sofa. Ji Bai supported the back of her head, and gently ruffled her short hair: “Say it.”

Xu Xu briefly summarized what she had just witnessed. Ji Bai’s face sank, and he released her as he stood up: “This matter has to be reported to Sun Ting immediately, so that it can be taken up by the Myanmar authorities. This cannot be tolerated.”

Xu Xu: “I have already reported it, Sun Ting is also very angry and will deal with this immediately.”

It was only then that Ji Bai sat down.

The two of them sat in silence for a while. Ji Bai saw that she was still troubled, and asked: “What is it?”

Xu Xu remained silent for a moment, then looked at him and said softly: “Third Brother, my heart is uncomfortable.”

Ji Bai empathized with her. This was the first time she had actually witnessed a murder scene. Although she was a calm and taciturn person, she was essentially kind-hearted, so it was not surprising that she would be shaken by this event.

In fact, compared to ordinary people, her reaction was already considered very good.

However, this was actually the first time she looked weak and fragile in front of him. When she called him “Third Brother” her voice sounded unhappy. Her expression of speech was always straight forward without any hidden meanings. At this moment, Ji Bai felt slightly distressed, but at the same time, also experienced a tinge of joy as Xu Xu revealed her dependence on him. He took her into his arms and hugged her, while looking down at her: “Myanmar is always at war year after year. The soldiers will always be treated brutally. Do not take this matter at heart.”

Xu Xu went silent for a moment, before replying: “I understand that they do not have the concept of law. Moreover, maybe in General Po’s mind, this is the only way they are able to establish an elite group of soldiers.”

Upon hearing that, Ji Bai was no longer focused on helping her sort out her thoughts. After a brief pause, he kissed her.

It gradually got darker. Xu Xu had eventually calmed down, but her heart still felt oppressed. She subconsciously wanted to stay with him longer, and made no mention of returning to her room. Naturally, Ji Bai also did not mention it.

After some time, they went to bed. Ji Bai turned off the main light, leaving only a small lamp on.

He pulled her snugly into his arms, and kissed his way down her neck slowly. His big hands moved under her skirt and started to explore.

The night was quiet and still. Just outside the window, there was a rice paddy field and insects singing quietly into the stillness of the night.  Xu Xu’s whole body was heating up as her mind was overtaken by ecstasy. The feeling she felt now was different as compared to this afternoon. Right now, she wasn’t feeling nervous nor did she feel embarra.s.sed and uncomfortable. She was originally in a sluggish mood, but with every gentle touch and kiss now, she felt rea.s.sured.

Looking at his slender yet st.u.r.dy form in the darkened room, inhaling the fevered scent that emanated from his muscular body, Xu Xu’s heart melted in his arms. She almost instinctively stretched out her hand to caressed his back, his shoulders, his waist . . .

On sensing her gentle caresses, Ji Bai’s being was overcome by a surging tide of emotions. His kisses became more tender and gentle. Tomorrow, her delicate skin would be marked all over from his kisses. He felt a sense of compa.s.sion for her. At this time, when thoughts and feelings were all in disorder, his body suddenly stiffened as her small hand had grasped . . . he abruptly looked at her with fierce intent.

In fact, Xu Xu was entirely following her heart’s desires …  Just by looking into Ji Bai’s pa.s.sionate eyes, Xu Xu held on and kept still.

Ji Bai flipped over and pressed her firmly down on the bed.

They had never been so intimately and pa.s.sionately entwined before. Ji Bai had finally removed Xu Xu’s skirt, and he was at his peak of his desires. Despite all that, he pulled the blanket over Xu Xu’s body, took a deep breath, and sat up.

He said lightly: “I don’t want you to have memories of your first time in such a terrible place.”

“Uhm.” Xu Xu’s entire face was flushed red. She replied very rapidly: “I also need to make some preparations.”

Ji Bai laughed in spite of himself. He kissed her forehead with barely contained disappointment, and got up to take a shower.

When Ji Bai returned to bed, Xu Xu was coc.o.o.ned in the blanket, smiling at him. His heart wrenched slightly. He laid on the bed and pulled her into his embrace. After a while, he took his keychain from the bedside table, removed his house keys, and gave them to Xu Xu: “When you return to Lin City, wait for me.”

He said this because, in accordance with the division of labour, he would be going to Yangon the next day with Sun Po and several others to continue the hunt for Brother Lu. On the other hand, Xu Xu and 3 other Interpol officers would be escorting the captured criminals back to China on General Po’s train. The two of them would be apart for more than 10 days.

Xu Xu took the keys. She kept on thinking about how he would be toiling ceaselessly in Myanmar in order to bring the case to a satisfactory conclusion, Xu Xu felt sorry for him. She thus softly encouraged him: “All right. We will join forces in Lin City to victory.”

Ji Bai was still feeling the ache of unfulfilled desire, his body still suffused with heat and desire. When he heard Xu Xu’s words, his heart and mind became a tangle of thoughts and emotions–(oh how he wanted to) join forces upon returning to Lin City ah . . .

He gave a deep laugh. Xu Xu said suspiciously: “What are you laughing at?”

Ji Bai just hugged her without replying: “Go to sleep.”

   ——

The next morning, Xu Xu and her colleagues boarded Po’s train. Under the protection of Po’s troops, they headed for the Chinese border to escort the captured criminals back to China. Ji Bai, on the other hand, headed in another direction.

[1] 心猿意马: The literal translation was ‘heart like a frisky monkey, mind like a cantering horse’

Translators: Shl, midasz

TL Checkers: Tranzgeek

Proofreaders: Libramuse